Lost and Found
by Eveshka
Summary: Sometimes, in order to be Lost, one has to be Found. But how can they be Found if they don't know they're Lost? COMPLETE
1. Chapter One

Lost and Found - Chapter 1

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter One**

There was a great deal to be said for wandering the world on one's own. The first thing to be said was that you kept your own schedule. The second was that you did what you wanted to without having to hear a dozen reasons why not.   
The blue-skinned youth looked out towards the collection of buildings with clear blue eyes. Drawing his hood up over his head, he sighed and headed into the village. One drawback to being alone was that when he needed supplies, he had to go get them himself. 

Standing at the edge of town, he looked around, seeing the typical types of stores usually found in little towns that popped up on roads frequented by travelers. This little town was no different, a tavern filled with boisterous mercenaries, a magic supply shop, and a general merchant's store.   
He headed for the general store, hoping that the prices weren't too high. He was running low on coin, and would soon have to find some sort of work. Finding work, however, was easier said than done for him, largely due to his appearance.   
Inside the store, he relaxed slightly at the prices. Not too bad, considering. He selected his supplies carefully, adding the cost in his head as he went. The waybread was a little more than he expected it to be, but he really couldn't complain.   
He walked up to the counter, setting his selections down and looking down as he counted out his estimated cost. The clerk started to note the selections on the sales tally, and absently asked him if that was all for him.   
He blinked, lost his count of coins and looked halfway up. "Excuse me?"   
"I asked if you needed anything else?" Her voice was familiar, and his train of thought skipped the tracks as he looked at her.   
He reached out, grabbing her wrist and stared at her. "Lina?"   
Crimson eyes blinked at him, and then the redhead screamed. 

It took Zelgadis completely by surprise when she started to scream, and he hastily released her wrist, stepping backwards and apologizing profusely. An uncomfortably large and heavy hand fell on his shoulder, and a booming voice asked him precisely what his intentions were with his daughter.   
Daughter? What sort of nightmare had he fallen into? "I… I thought that I knew her. She… looks like someone I know. If you'll just let go… I'll leave." He turned, twisting himself out of that heavy-handed grasp and moving for the door.   
"Wait," the voice that was and was not Lina's called out. "You… know me? I mean, you know someone who looks like me?"   
He drew the hood of his cloak closer to his face. "I was mistaken. Forgive my intrusion." He made haste in exiting the store, heading out towards the road. He'd get supplies somewhere else.   
Something caught the edge of his cloak, and he spun to see the girl from the store. She was wearing a long brown skirt and a white blouse, red hair pulled back from her face in a braid. One hand trembled at her throat, the other holding fast to his cloak. Before he could step backwards, she moved, her free hand reaching out and knocking the hood of his cloak back. Brilliant red eyes widened, and she caught her breath.   
"I… I know you… don't I?" She asked, looking at him. "I know you somehow…"   
He blinked in confusion as the man who was seemingly her father walked up to them. "Amy… let him go. Don't worry. It will all come back to you in time."   
All come back…? "Excuse me, but how do you know me?" Zelgadis asked quietly.   
The girl who looked like Lina but had been called Amy shook her head. "I don't know. But… I know you somehow. It's like we met… a long time ago…"   
"You have to excuse her. She has not been well," the man said to Zelgadis.   
"Please stay for dinner?" She asked Zelgadis before turning to her father. "Father, let him stay. Maybe… maybe he's someone I do know. From… before."   
Zelgadis opened his mouth, but the man replied first. "Well, dinner is the least I can do to apologize for startling you in the store. Come on, son." He turned, catching the girl's small hand up in his large one and started to lead the way.   
Son…? If it weren't for the fact that she looked so much like Lina, he would have hit the road. But there was something about her… something he couldn't place his finger on…   
With a shrug, the chimera followed the merchant and his… daughter. 

Dinner was uncanny, Zelgadis decided. Amy had eaten everything in sight, though not nearly as messily or chaotically as Lina would have. She looked like Lina, but reminded him more of Sylphiel. It was incredibly unnerving.   
"So… traveler," Amy's father began. "What's your name, and where are you going?"   
Zelgadis sipped at his coffee, eyes half-closed. As he started to set the cup down, he replied quietly. "My name is Zelgadis. As for my destination…" His voice trailed off. He didn't really –have- a destination, did he?   
"Hmf. That's Zel for you. Ask him a question, and you practically have to beat the answer out of him. One of these days, he's going to give us all a real answer and we won't believe him. Of course, he could be as bad as Xellos with his 'that's a secret line…'" A loud clatter interrupted Amy, and she looked up in confusion. "Huh?"   
Both Zelgadis and her father were staring at her. The coffee cup lay on the table where Zelgadis had dropped it, coffee sinking into the tablecloth.   
Flustered, Amy immediately rose, gathering up the dishes and fled into the kitchen. Zelgadis moved to follow, but the large hand of her father rested on his shoulder again. "Let her go. I'd rather talk to you without her for a moment."   
Zelgadis turned to the man, narrowed his eyes, but nodded. At the silent beckons, he followed the man on into another room. 

"She may be who you think she is," the man started without preamble. "A mercenary brought her into town about a year ago. They both looked pretty bad, and the mercenary must have been on his feet by will alone. She wasn't as hurt as he was, though. We got her through okay, but he didn't live the night."   
Zelgadis took a breath and held it. "The mercenary… was he blonde?" At the man's nod, he continued, every confirmation from the merchant causing his stomach to sink lower and lower. "Blue eyes, blue and black armor?"   
The merchant opened a desk drawer, pulling out a leather pouch. He tossed it easily to Zelgadis, who caught it and looked at the tooled leather. Even before he read the tooled initials, he knew this had belonged to Gourry. As his eyes traced the interlocked 'G's, the merchant nodded. "You knew him, then."   
"Gourry Gabriev," Zelgadis said, closing his eyes for a moment. A thousand questions ran through his mind. How in the world could Gourry be dead? What could have possibly been strong enough to defeat both Lina and Gourry? "Where…" He paused to collect himself, opening his eyes and offering the pouch back. "Where is he buried?"   
The merchant waved away the pouch. "You keep it. You knew him, son. I didn't, but I know he was a good man. They gave him a proper burial in the churchyard. Amy goes every night about this time. Maybe she'll let you go too."   
Just then, the sound of the front door closing echoed through the room, and the merchant looked to him. "You'd best go catch up if you want to go with her."   
Zelgadis spun, clutching the pouch, and left the room. 

She walked quietly and quickly through the town, Zelgadis following her at a respectable distance. Once in the churchyard, he hung back to see where she was going, but he had little desire to interrupt her. As he watched, she knelt at a grave, tracing letters on the marker. His supernatural hearing picked up her words, and he felt ill at ease, as if he was spying on her.   
"Why did you have to die… you were my only link… what happened? I can't remember… I don't even know your name…"   
Zelgadis walked silently up behind her, and only after she turned to look at him did he speak. "His name was Gourry Gabriev."   
"Gourry…" she whispered, looking back at the grave marker with the interlocked 'G's carved on it.   
He saw the tears start to fall and backed up. "I'm sorry…" He shouldn't have interrupted her.   
"Please… don't leave me. You… know who I am. I don't know how… but I know you. I don't remember what happened… I don't know who I am. I've been here a whole year and I still don't know…" She sat there, eyes on the ground, tears falling slowly. "In the store… when you called me that name… something echoed it. It felt… right."   
The empty desperation in her voice, the imagery of her sitting in front of Gourry's grave… it all threatened to break the walls of stone around his heart. Rallying himself, he looked at her. "Let's go back. We can talk there."   
She looked up to see his offered hand, and took it quietly, rising to her feet and following him out of the graveyard. 


	2. Chapter Two

Lost and Found - Chapter Two

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Two**

Back in the merchant's house, Zelgadis sat at the table looking across at the girl who clutched the end of her braid in one hand, fretting at the loose ends with the other hand. She hardly acted like Lina. He shook his head. "Maybe this is for the best. There is a reason that you can't remember anything if you are indeed Lina. Perhaps that reason is a valid one and this shouldn't be broken."   
Her eyes snapped up to his, knuckles going white as she tightened her grip on her braid. "I can't. I have to know who I am. For a year I've wondered what my name really is. I've had dreams… frightening nightmares that I don't understand…" She looked away, fighting tears and it tore at his heart. "I have to know. I have to."   
He took a deep breath and allowed himself to wonder for a moment why it fell to him. _Why? Because I'm the only one who can help her, Lina Inverse or not… I can't just walk away from her._ The moment passed, his irritation replaced by steel resolve as he recalled Lina standing to face Milgasia with that same voice, saying that she'd fight because she had to. "Then I'll help you. Perhaps if you started telling me what you do remember, something will unravel." _And I have to help as well. Because if you are Lina… I could never live with myself knowing that I had the chance to help and didn't._   
She looked over across the table, nodding slowly. "I don't remember much at all. But my dreams seem almost like memories… things lost to me the moment I awake. Sometimes I know things, things that I shouldn't know. Someone mentioned the Red Priest Rezo two days ago and I'm still wondering why I shook so violently." She looked at her hands, letting the braid fall against her shoulder. "I'm still shaking."   
Zelgadis leaned forward. "You must have had things with you when you were brought here. Have you seen them? Used them to try to remember?"   
She looked up at him, blinking. "They put them in a chest… but I haven't had the courage to look in it… to see what is there."   
"Where is the chest? Maybe we should look in it together and see what you recall." _Lina? Not having the courage to do anything?_ It boggled him.   
She rose from the table, quietly walking off to enter a door down the hallway. When she returned, a box easily large enough to carry a sword and clothing was in her hands. "This… is what they gave me." She put it on the table and looked blankly at it.   
"Go ahead and open it," Zelgadis prompted, noticing the merchant in the doorway, watching.   
She lifted the top, looking in and reaching in to pick something up. A black ribbon rippled in the slight breeze as she looked at it frowning. Shaking her head, she put it aside in the box and picked up a red and silver object that Zelgadis recognized as one of the talismans that she'd worn.   
_It has to be Lina. She'd never give those up willingly; she'd rather die first. This girl… this is Lina, and I have to help her remember. I have to send word to Amelia and Sylphiel…_ he thought as he watched her look at the talisman as if she had never seen it before.   
"This… I don't know… it seems…" For a moment, she seemed to be looking at something else, and she set the talisman quickly down in the box and hastily closed the top. "I don't want to look in here anymore." Her mood change was as sudden as the changing of the wind. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."   
She turned and left the box on the table as she walked out of the room.   
With a sigh, Zelgadis rose and lifted the top of the box. Looking in, the condition of the clothing that he'd always known Lina to wear was enough to bring his thoughts to a screeching halt. He lifted the torn and tattered cloth of her cloak, the shirt carefully folded underneath showing stains and he swallowed hard, wondering if that had been her blood or Gourry's.   
"She is your friend, isn't she?" The merchant said, walking into the room and looking at Zelgadis.   
Gently placing the cloak back in the box, he nodded. "I don't know what happened to her. But she has to be Lina. I don't know of anyone else that would have these exact things. And you heard her comment at dinner. Only Lina would know that."   
The merchant nodded. "You'll have to have a room here, then. She has nightmares sometimes, and I think you'd be the best one to help her. That door down there, the one that's open. You take that room. It used to be my boy's room, but he's grown up and gone off on his own now."   
Zelgadis nodded, taking the box off of the table. "If you don't mind… I'd like to keep this near me. It may be better if it isn't in her room if it upsets her so. And that way, we'll know where it is just in case she decides to look in it again."   
The merchant nodded and took a pipe out of his pocket, heading out the front door to smoke it. "You know, Zelgadis… I'm glad you're here. She's like my own… but she needs something that I can't give her: herself." And on that cryptic comment, he left the house. 

In the room now designated as 'his', Zelgadis sat trying to come up with something that could have defeated both Lina and Gourry. He'd watched her stand up to Shabranigdo, Dark Star… two of the highest-powered deities. She was capable of some of the more destructive spells that he knew of… and Gourry was an excellent swordsman. As he contemplated, the soft sounds of someone sobbing touched his ears.   
He hadn't heard her cry since Phibrizo had taken Gourry.   
Silently, he stood, walking out of the room to stand at the bedroom door that was hers. He rested a hand on the door and called out softly. "Amy?"   
"Zel…?" It twisted his heart.   
_That sounded so much like Lina…_ "Are you okay?" he asked, fighting the urge to break into the room and destroy what was bothering her. He knew it wasn't as simple as that.   
"I'll… be fine… in the morning." She said. "Thanks." It was clearly a dismissal, and he turned back to his room and lay on the bed. 

In the middle of the night, he heard it. She was talking, saying something that he couldn't understand through the wall. Thankful that he was at least wearing pants, he slipped out of the room and stood by the door, listening.   
With a jolt, he realized that she was talking about the orihalcon statue that had held the Philosopher's Stone. Playing a gamble, he knocked on the door. "Lina?"   
"Get the door, Gourry," he heard her mumble.   
He knocked again. "Lina,"   
He heard shuffling footsteps and she opened the door irritably, scowling at him. "What? Huh?! No! I'm not giving it to you!"   
He blinked. She wasn't completely awake. "Lina, that's not what I'm here for."   
She tilted her head and scowled at him. "Then what do you want? I'm trying to sleep."   
"Lina, what happened? What happened to you and Gourry?" He asked, thinking maybe that he could juxtapose the memories.   
She frowned. "There was… there was…" her voice grew weaker. "It was…" something flickered in her eyes and she took a step towards him. "Zel… what's happening to me… why am I here…?" Another step and her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.   
He caught her in time, looking at her still face. Something did happen. Something enough to kill Gourry and nearly kill her. But what? With a sigh, he lifted her into his arms and took her into the room to lay her on the bed. After making sure that she was only sleeping, he left the room and closed the door behind him. 


	3. Chapter Three

Lost and Found - Chapter Three

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Three**

The morning dawned, finding Zelgadis brooding on the porch. He'd slept enough, and so sat on the railing watching the sun come up. The door opened and Zelgadis looked to see the merchant step outside.   
"There you are, son. It's a good morning, isn't it?"   
Zelgadis looked back to the rising sun. "It has promise. Last night… last night, for a moment, she was herself. She wasn't fully awake, and she tried to talk to me."   
"Did she now? Good. It's her day off today, maybe the two of you can work on her memory some more," the merchant said, lighting his pipe.   
Zelgadis nodded, and then looked to the man. "I don't know your name. I'm living in your house, and I do not know how to address my host."   
The merchant's laugh boomed out over the dawn. "Ian. Ian Sellmore. How's that for you? With a family name like that, how could I not be a merchant?"   
Zelgadis smirked. "I see your point. Thank you, Ian." A sound at the doorway caused him to turn, and he saw her standing there, looking out at them both.   
"Good morning. Did you both sleep well?" She asked. "Breakfast will be ready shortly. Zelgadis… I know you like coffee for breakfast… do you want anything else?"   
The flicker that crossed his eyes wasn't lost on Ian. "Coffee will be fine, thank you… Amy." Zelgadis took care to not call her Lina.   
She turned with a nod and went back into the house and Ian looked at him. "You didn't tell her that you liked coffee."   
Zelgadis nodded as he watched her. "No, I didn't. Her memories aren't completely locked away."   
"Mmm," Ian remarked, smoking his pipe thoughtfully.   
Zelgadis turned back to the morning and looked out at the trees and wondered for the hundredth time since his arrival what had happened to Lina. 

Breakfast was a quiet moment in the morning, Zelgadis sipping at his coffee, Amy eating her eggs, and Ian spending most of the time writing up to-do lists for when he opened up the store.   
"Are you sure that you can handle the store alone today? I could come help…" Amy said to Ian, as if hoping that he'd take her with him.   
"No, I think that spending the day with Zelgadis and trying to work out your memories is a much better idea." Ian looked across to Zelgadis. "You need anything, feel free to grab it. Just let me know and I'll bring more back from the store."   
Zelgadis set the empty coffee mug down and nodded. "If it is possible, please bring a blank writing journal and a pencil."   
Ian stood, taking up his lists and nodded. "That's easy, son. I'll bring it with me tonight." He reached out and gave Amy a gentle hug. "You go careful, girl."   
She hugged back and smiled faintly. "I'll… try…"   
When Ian left, the silence grew uncomfortable, and at length, Zelgadis looked to Amy who was simply staring at her hands. "What do you do on your days off?"   
She looked up with a start. "Well… I usually do chores…"   
Zelgadis nodded. "Then let's start." 

Chores consisted of laundry, dishes, sweeping out the house, and various other little jobs that Zelgadis was positive Lina would never do. And yet, there she was, scrubbing the clothing as if there was nothing at all unusual in doing so. When she'd swept out the house, she'd used a broom and he'd almost expected her to levitate everything in the room. Instead, she'd patiently moved each piece of furniture that she could, and he'd helped with the larger things, lifting them into the air with a simple levitation spell.   
She'd said she couldn't use magic.   
He sat, watching her scrub at a stain on a shirt. He'd have to figure out a way to get her to talk to him. She seemed almost… afraid of him, afraid of the memories that she had buried. But yesterday evening… she'd wanted him to help her. Up until she'd looked at the talisman.   
"Amy… I'm just sitting here watching. What can I help you with?" He asked.   
She paused, looking over. "Not much," she admitted. "I'm not used to having anyone around to help me." She shrugged slightly and went back to the wash.   
He walked over to her, resting his hands on her shoulders, almost hoping that she would blast him for touching her. "My presence upsets you. Last night… you wanted to know. Today, the idea upsets you. I can't make the decision for you."   
She tensed under his grasp, and he braced himself for the fireball. But none came. She sighed softly. "When I picked up that… that thing… I saw a monster… like a quick flash of memory. It… it… was after me…" She started to shake, and before he could move, she turned in his hands and flung herself into him.   
Startled, he stood there looking down at her hair for a moment before he brought his arms around her in what he hoped was a gentle embrace. He was, after all, made of stone.   
They stood there like that for a while, and he could feel the fabric of his shirt dampen from what he expected were tears. After some time, he heard her whispering, sounding so very much like an echo of herself. "I'm afraid it will come back for me, Zel… that if I remember… then it will return and…"   
He shook his head. "If that happens, I'll protect you." She almost sounded like herself again. Her turn of phrase was more like her old self's.   
She seemed to curl in on herself. "No… it killed Gourry. I don't want it to kill you too…"   
He gave a faint bitter laugh. _She still doesn't remember._ "You've forgotten. I'm made of stone. The only thing that can kill me is-"   
She cut him off, looking up at him with a vague sort of recognition. "The Sword of Light… you told me that once. But… when? I mean, I look at you, and I know that I should know you, know who you are. But every time I reach for that memory… every time I almost touch it, it dances out of my grasp like it's caught by the wind. Sometimes I think I'm crazy, that all these memories are nothing more than passing dream-memories and that it will all go away."   
He smiled. "You're no crazier than I am."   
She gave a little half-laugh, sounding more like Lina. "Great. I'm no crazier than the stubborn chimera. Just wait until I tell Amelia that." She blinked, and amended: "Once I figure out who Amelia is."   
"The Princess of Saillune," he replied, hoping that might stir more memories.   
She stared at him. "What? The Princess of Saillune? You mean I know royalty? No way!"   
He smirked. "Yes, you do know her. You'll just have to trust me on that."   
She shook her head, realizing that he was holding her, and stepped away from him, blushing faintly. "Sorry…"   
His answer was simpler than his thoughts. "You looked like you needed it."   
She picked at the skirt that she was wearing and looked back at the laundry and the forgotten shirt. "I should… finish this…" Taking up the shirt, she started to work on the stain again.   
_Lina… we have to bring you back. Whatever is out there… it has to be found, and destroyed._ He thought as he watched her busy herself finishing the laundry. 

When the laundry was finished and hung to dry, they sat out on the porch and she watched the clothing sway in the breeze. Her question was completely out of the blue, and it startled him. "Who was Xellos?"   
He looked at her in surprise. "Well, he has purple hair, carries a staff… he's better known as the Trickster Priest… even though he's the general-priest of Beastmaster Zelas Metallium. Why?"   
She said it matter-of-factly. "Because the monster killed him too."   
The words fell onto Zelgadis with the same percussive force as a large fireball exploding over his head. "It… what…?"   
She looked to him, eyes distant, as if she were only partly there with him. When she spoke, her words were empty, her voice flat. "It killed him. It tore him in half as Gourry picked me up and ran off."   
The words spun in Zelgadis' mind. Xellos was there when whatever it was had happened… if he was there and he hadn't appeared by now… a whole year later… if it was a Mazoku capable of killing Xellos… It was very little wonder why she wanted to forget. Very little wonder indeed.   
Amy collected herself and rose from the porch steps. "I ought to start dinner." She turned to the door and entered the house, leaving him alone with his thoughts. 


	4. Chapter Four

Lost and Found - Chapter Four

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Four**

Upon returning to the relative quiet inside the house, Zelgadis pulled his logbook out and started to write thoughtfully, moving across the room to sit at the table. Amy walked into the kitchen, and popped back out with a cup of coffee, which she wordlessly set beside the chimera.   
He looked up and over in time to see her red braid swinging as she walked quietly back into the kitchen, and he shook his head. How much did she remember and just repress… and how much was still lost to her? He picked up the cup, sipped at it, looked at the liquid thoughtfully, and then set the cup down. She made a good cup of coffee. He'd never asked Lina to make him coffee before. _Still haven't,_ he corrected himself, scribbling another note in the book.   
Zelgadis paused writing in his logbook when the door opened and Ian walked into the house. Upon reflection, Ian was fairly old. White-haired and heavyset, Ian looked well the part of the jovial old shopkeeper that he was.   
"Well, hello son! Did you make any progress today?" Ian asked upon spotting Zelgadis sitting at the table, the merchant's brown eyes flickering with the unspoken concern that Ian had for the girl.   
"Some," Zelgadis admitted. "I know at least part of what happened now, and I'm not sure that I like it."   
Ian walked over and laid the book and pencil that Zelgadis had requested on the table beside the youth. "What's the part that you know?"   
Zelgadis glanced back into the kitchen, seeing Amy stick a spoon into a pot and give the contents a stir. He looked back at Ian. "Apparently, it was a high-level Mazoku. A demon, more or less."   
Ian didn't look at all surprised. "Oh, aye. We've got them all over the Balck Forest out there. It's named for Old Man Balck, a sorcerer that was around these parts about ten years back."   
Zelgadis frowned. "What more can you tell me?" He flipped a page in his logbook and started to write.   
"Well, you see… Old Man Balck… he used to be the top-rate sorcerer around here. Used to be looked up to. Pretty powerful, he was. But one day, some fella came to town, saying that he was looking for Balck. Turns out that Balck was using real bad magic when no one was looking, and this guy was out to take the power away."   
Zelgadis stopped writing and looked at Ian. "So what happened?"   
Ian shrugged as he sat at the table. "No one knows. Never saw the kid again. But rumors of a demon lived in the forest, controlled by Balck. Could have been what was left of the fella, I suppose."   
"So why would Lina have gone into the forest?" Zelgadis wondered. He looked up from his notes on the woods and frowned. "What's in the forest?" He pressed.   
"Some old ruins with a lot of magical stuff, from what the stories around here say. Others say there's a book older than the known world. Whatever it is that's in there, it's guarded by that creature," Ian replied offhandedly. "Or, that's what some believe. Others think that it's where Old Man Balck hid his magic things. Me, I never gave much thought to it."   
Zelgadis sighed. "That's more than enough for Lina to go headfirst into the forest without much in the way of a backup plan. Unfortunately, she's about the most greedy person that I've ever met."   
"Zelgadis Greywords! You're mean!" Amy stood in the doorway, hands on her hips. "You take that right back before I fireball you!"   
Zelgadis was so surprised that she'd used the family name that he hadn't told her, and that she'd threatened him with a fireball just like Lina would have that he didn't have an answer forthcoming.   
Her eyes narrowed, and for a brief instant, two tiny mage-marks appeared under her bangs. "Fireball!"   
The resultant ball of flame burst on Zelgadis, charring him slightly, and before he or Ian could react, Amy had squealed and grabbed up a glass of water to douse the smoldering chimera.   
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Zelgadis! I don't know what came over me… I've never done that before…" Amy spluttered.   
Zelgadis sat dripping in the chair as Amy attempted to dry him off with a napkin and absently wondered if Fate enjoyed herself when it came to him.   
Ian shook his head. "Amy, love… let him go change clothing and you get dinner on the table. Go on, son. We'll be waiting for you."   
Zelgadis glanced to Ian. _Does nothing upset the old man? Pah… leave it be. It's better to just let it go. If I confront her now… she might retreat further._   
Amy stepped back from Zelgadis, looking at him worriedly. "I'm sorry…"   
Zelgadis rose and smiled faintly at her. "I'm fine, Amy. Don't worry about it. I'm… used to far worse." He turned and walked into his room, even more convinced that she was Lina, just fighting herself. 

Dinner was uneventful after that, and Zelgadis was afraid that Amy would push harder at herself, to force the memories farther away. When they had eaten, he looked to Amy. "Are you going to the grave tonight?"   
She nodded slowly. "I go every night."   
"May I accompany you?" Zelgadis asked.   
She only nodded silently, rising from the table. As she reached for a plate, Ian stopped her. "Go on, Amy. I'll do the dishes tonight. You two go on."   
Amy nodded and looked to Zelgadis. "Are you ready to go now…?"   
Zelgadis stood, nodding and they headed out to the churchyard.   
As they walked, Zelgadis contemplated what he could say to her. A thought came to his mind, but he didn't get to voice it. Instead, a voice that he only barely heard caught his attention. "Behind you, chimera!"   
Senses on alert, he spun, right hand reaching for his sword, left hand catching Amy's arm and pulling her behind him.   
The world's ugliest monster was standing in the air. He felt Amy stiffen behind him, felt her wrench herself free of his grasp and heard her frightened voice. "That's… that's a monster!"   
"Get out of here! I'll hold it off!" Zelgadis called back to her, readying his sword. As she took off running for the house, he called the astral vine spell on his sword and allowed his anger to feed on itself. He wasn't one-third demon himself for nothing, and he had a big grudge to hold against this creature. Either it, or something like it was responsible for the death of Gourry, whatever had happened to Lina… and well, Zelgadis wasn't too displeased over the death of Xellos. He'd never quite liked the fruitcake anyway.   
Not surprisingly, the creature wanted nothing to do with him. It started after Amy, only to be drawn up short by Zelgadis' sword-point as the chimera hung in the air before it. "This is not your fight, chimera."   
"I'm making it my fight," Zelgadis countered, casting a fireball at the thing before glancing back to see how far Amy had gotten.   
She was frozen, watching him in the air. As he frowned, she shrieked.   
Something knocked into him, and the only thing that saved him from harm was that stone skin of his. Turning back around, Zelgadis snarled at the Mazoku. "You killed Xellos and Gourry. Why do you want to kill Lina?" It took a swipe at him, which he dodged.   
"Lina Inverse killed Garv and Hellmaster."   
Zelgadis rolled his eyes. _Not that old grudge again. You'd think the Mazoku would figure it out._ "Lina didn't kill either of them!" He ducked another attack, fired another fireball and looked at the Mazoku. "Hellmaster killed Garv, and the Lord of Nightmares killed Hellmaster. Hellmaster asked her to!"   
The monster growled. "You are in my way. Give me Lina Inverse!"   
Zelgadis brought his sword up, the red-black blade slashing at the monster, only to miss. Somewhere in the back of his brain, he realized that the monster wasn't based on the physical plane. His only choice would be to attack it on the Astral, only he wasn't prepared, and the Ra-Tilt would take him a moment to cast.   
He brought his hand up, drawing on the power around him and from within. "Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite. Everlasting flame…" He saw the incoming claw moments before it grabbed him, pinning him in midair.   
"Zelgadis!!" Amy shrieked, freezing on the ground below him. 


	5. Chapter Five

Lost and Found - Chapter Five

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Five**

Zelgadis had had better days. Really, this morning was much better than he had expected it to be. But right now, things looked pretty bleak. He took stock of the situation, looking at the monster calmly. It had a tight grasp on him, and he knew that he had a slim change of working his way out of that grasp.   
Except, he had Amy to worry about. She was watching in horror, her skirt flipping wildly around her legs as the wind blew.   
Wind…? Wind!   
He closed his eyes and focused his will, bringing forth the power within him. He could cast a Bram Gush with himself as the center. All he had to do was tap that wind…   
His eyes snapped open in sudden shock as two things came to him. First, that wasn't a natural wind. Second, its center was Amy.   
He looked down to her and saw that her stance had shifted, her hands were spread out, and she was drawing the wind towards her. Her eyes were closed, her braid whipping around in the wind as it grew stronger.   
The monster reached for Amy, and Zelgadis hollered a warning. Before he could do much else, her eyes opened, a fiery determination flaring within them. Her lips parted, and the words that he heard both chilled and warmed him. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson in the blood that flows, buried in the stream of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand against the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand."   
The Dragon Slave. Well, he'd survived it before; he'd do so again. But… Amy…?   
"Dragon Slave!"   
There was a moment, a frozen spot in time where he saw the magical wind hang in the air before her, and then the moment was broken, the spell turning into a brilliant scarlet flame and bursting away from her, violent violets flickering around the scarlet as it hurtled towards him and the monster. He'd never seen the Dragon Slave quite like that before. It occurred to him that he might not ever want to see it that way again.   
The scarlet and violet flare shot through the monster in a fiercely controlled path, and the thought struck Zelgadis that he'd never seen Lina control the spell so precisely. It destroyed the monster, coming to a point behind it and then just… falling apart. There was none of the brilliant explosive damage that he had seen before.   
He realized that the monster was no longer holding him captive, and his levitation spell was still holding him in the air. He alighted beside Amy, who was brushing off her hands and surveying the destroyed monster. Eyebrow raised, he looked at her.   
"Hey, Zel! Long time no see!" She grinned, holding out a victory sign. That wasn't Amy.   
He blinked in confusion, looking at Lina as she stood there looking back at him. "Lina…?" He asked hesitantly.   
"Who else do you know that can fire off a Dragon Slave with that much control?" She shot back at him, hands on her hips.   
Zelgadis had to admit that he hadn't even known Lina could exercise that amount of control over the spell. "Well, to tell the truth…" He caught her as she fainted. "Damn."   
He was really having a lousy day. 

He carried the unconscious girl into the house, and met Ian in the hallway. "She…" At a loss for explanations, he shrugged. "She was Lina for a few minutes… and then fainted."   
Ian hmmed softly. "I wonder if there's more to Old Man Balck than we think. He maybe could be controlling her?"   
She fretted quietly in Zelgadis' arms, and he looked down at her reflexively. "I don't know. But we have to find out what's going on." Ian held the bedroom door open for him, and Zelgadis gently placed the girl on the bed.   
When the two men left the room, Zelgadis looked to Ian. "Let me tell you what I've seen." 

After the recounting of the evening's events, Ian lit his pipe. They were standing out on the porch so as not to wake Amy with their voices. "So that makes four times so far that I've seen Lina." Zelgadis said. "The first time was when she mentioned that I'm not too talkative."   
Ian chuckled faintly. "Only when you have to, eh?"   
Zelgadis smirked. "Something like that. The second time was when she was half asleep. She actually broke through enough to ask me what was happening to her. Before I could answer, she fainted."   
Ian frowned. "So when Lina is herself, she faints?"   
"It would seem so. The third time that I saw Lina was on the porch yesterday. She remembered part of what happened, but she didn't faint afterwards. And then this evening, she cast the Dragon Slave on the monster and greeted me like nothing had changed. Then she fainted and I brought her here."   
Ian frowned harder. "Sounds like something so bad happened that she had to come up with someone else to cope with it."   
Zelgadis stared at Ian. "Another… personality?"   
Ian shrugged, drawing on his pipe. When he spoke, smoke rings punctuated his words. "Maybe. Maybe not. Can't know. Not yet, at least."   
Zelgadis considered. "I think I ought to go see if I can't find where Lina and Gourry had the fight."   
"You're going into the woods, son?" Ian asked skeptically. "That place isn't safe, least of all at night."   
"I have to go. Even though a year has passed there will be signs of the battle left. Maybe I can learn something from there," Zelgadis countered.   
Neither man saw Amy stop in the doorway and turn around, darting silently back to her room. 

Zelgadis had been in the woods for about twenty minutes, and the 'creep factor' as Lina had once said, was fairly high. There was something in the woods, and it was a good deal more than simply his imagination. Zelgadis, for one, wasn't easily 'creeped out.'   
Something rustled behind him, and he spun to hear silence fall. Something or someone was nearby. He frowned, sensing around, and smirked. "Why are you following me?"   
Amy guiltily stepped out of a bush and looked at him. Her hair was bound back tightly in a braid, and she wore brown pants with a brown shirt, as if she were trying to blend in with the trees. "I… didn't want you going alone."   
"You shouldn't be out here."   
She shook her head. "I know where it was. You don't. I'll take you there."   
Zelgadis folded his arms. "I thought you didn't remember."   
"I don't really. All I remember is where. I don't remember what happened… just where it was." She said, walking past him. "It's this way."   
As he followed her, they worked their way through the forest, until they came to a section that could only have been cleared by magic. _Or,_ Zelgadis corrected himself, _a highly controlled Dragon Slave._   
Amy looked to him. "This is it. This is where it happened." She sat slowly, looking at the magically scorched earth and grass.   
The surrounding area was pale, as if someone had come by and drained the colors out of the trees and rocks and grass. A flash of color caught his attention, and Zelgadis walked towards it.   
Half-buried in the pale green grass was the end of a dark brown stick.   
He reached down and gave the stick an experimental tug, surprising himself and Amy as he stepped back and pulled a staff up from the grass, gasping as he recognized it.   
Xellos' staff. _So, the fruitcake had been here._   
He turned, showing the staff to Amy. "Have you seen this before?"   
She frowned, holding her hand out to it. "I… I don't know… it's familiar… in a vague sort of way…" She touched it, and the sphere at the end burst into brilliant fiery life. Her hand closed around it, and she took the staff from him, looking at the stone that was glowing red. She tilted her head, looking first at the stone, and then to Zelgadis.   
"Amy?" He asked, worried that something had happened.   
She looked away from the staff, over to him, and the look in her eyes was one of lost confusion. "Zel… what's happening to me? It's like… like I'm somebody else…"   
"Lina?" He asked dumbly.   
She nodded, wobbling towards him, using Xellos' staff for support. "There… was a monster. It… attacked us. Gourry…" She was close enough to him, and he reached out to her. "Gourry tried to defend me… and Xellos appeared…. He told us to go… but the monster tore him in half…" She fell into him, still clutching the staff. "In the town… Gourry took me in the town. When I woke up…" She looked at him, her voice stronger. "Zel… he's dead. Gourry's dead and it's all my fault!"   
The words echoed faintly in the woods, and Zelgadis looked to the redheaded woman in his grasp. She was Lina, undoubtedly. He knew that pained look in her eyes, had seen it when Hellmaster had stolen Gourry. He'd hoped to never have to see it again. But here she was, looking at him with that same pain, and it tore at his heart. Damn that he had to care.   
"Lina," he asked roughly. "I need to know what happened. I need to know how to fix this."   
For a moment, he thought that she was going to answer him. She looked at him, mouthed the words, and consciousness fled. The staff rolled out of her open hand and he caught it reflexively, pulling the staff and the girl close as he turned to leave the woods. 


	6. Chapter Six

Lost and Found - Chapter Six

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Six**

The morning dawned on the sleepless chimera. He'd sat on the porch all night long, trying to unravel the mystery presented to him. So far, he wasn't having much luck. Xellos' staff was across his lap, the sphere dull and silent. He'd cast a few spells on it during the night, but nothing had brought it to fiery life.   
He heaved the sigh of one much put-upon, and leaned against the railing beside him. The door opened, and from the light footsteps he heard, he decided that it was Amy. She sat beside him, feet bare under her long green skirt. For a while, there was only silence, and then Amy spoke.   
"What happened last night? I went after you… but what happened after you found me? I woke up this morning in my room… and I don't remember a thing. It's like a hole in my mind…"   
Zelgadis looked off at the rising sun. "Lina."   
Amy sighed. "Lina… I'm tired of this, Zelgadis. I'm tired of her shadow, whoever she is."   
Zelgadis blinked. This was an unexpected development. He turned to look at her, saw the tears glistening unshed in her eyes. "Amy…?"   
"It's like she's some older sister that I have to outshine! I don't want to! I just want to be me! I want to be Ian's daughter and run the mercantile!" She stood suddenly, tears starting to fall.   
"Amy…" He started, reaching up to her, but she gathered her skirt and took off down the porch stairs, running across the field beside the house, leaving him to sit and watch in bewilderment. Lina had once said the same thing about her sister… 

All through the morning, Zelgadis took it upon himself to do the chores. Ian went off to tend the store, not even asking where Amy was. Zelgadis decided that Ian probably thought that she was asleep.   
He finished washing the dishes and turned his attention to the fact that Amy still wasn't home. With a sigh, he decided that it was time to head out after her.   
He slipped into his room, picked up his sword and fastened it at his hip as he headed out of the house. No sense in heading out unprepared. If Amy had half the 'trouble magnet' effect that Lina had… he was sure to have his hands full when he found her. 

Except that he didn't find her. 

The sun was starting to set and Zelgadis was officially worried. He wasn't the worrying type normally. But this had him seriously worried. It was mildly annoying. He wasn't the emotional type. Yet… here he was, emotion tingeing his voice as he called for Amy.   
_The only place I haven't searched is the forest. Those woods… what if she's gone in there?_ He shook the thought out of his head. There had to be somewhere else. The store. He hadn't checked the store. It would be a good place for a merchant's daughter to go… He turned on his heel and cast levitation around himself and sped off towards the town and the mercantile. 

The store was dark and locked, but neither of those things particularly got in his way. He'd never bothered to learn the unlock spell. After Rezo had taught him how to open almost any lock by hand, it seemed rather… pointless. A slight twist there… a touch of pressure there… The door opened smoothly and he stepped inside.   
A sound off to the side caught his attention immediately, and he moved quietly over towards the counter. It was Amy, he knew it by the sound of her breathing. Moving as if he belonged there, just happened to be walking by, he sat down beside her. "It's a nice evening." He was relieved to see that she was safe, and it took everything within him to keep his voice as noncommittal as could be.   
She sniffed softly, looking up to see him sitting there. "What?"   
"I said, it's a nice evening." Without looking directly at her, he offered her a handkerchief from his cloak pocket, which she took after a moment of hesitation.   
"Is it? I… I didn't know," she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Privately, he hoped she wouldn't hand the cloth back to him now. Thankfully, she didn't. He wasted a moment chastising himself for that.   
"It is. Would you like to come see?" He asked softly, wondering at himself. When did he ever learn to be like this? He wasn't… kind and gentle. He was the heartless mysterious swordsman… wasn't he? _Damn. Amelia and Sylphiel have really worn off on me…_   
"You're only doing this to make me feel better, aren't you?" She looked at him, scarlet eyes watered to the color of rubies.   
He blinked at her. "No," he said simply. "Perhaps you are right. Maybe you should just be yourself."   
Ruby eyes looked at aquamarine ones. "But who am I, Zelgadis? I don't remember enough to be Lina… and I remember too much to be Amy…"   
He sighed. "You have to decide who you are. I can't do that for you. It might be better if I left here, Amy. My presence can only add confusion to your life." He looked away and started to rise. Her hand caught his arm and he stopped, looking back at her.   
"Don't go… I… I'm sorry. I…" her voice trailed off and she looked away.   
Zelgadis ignored the tug at his heart and tilted his head. "I'll stay, if you ask."   
She looked at him, something akin to hope burning quietly in her eyes. "Will you? Stay? Here…?"   
He nodded, aware of the voice of reason in his head starting a miniature rant about him becoming soft in his old age. Ignoring the voice, he nodded to Amy. "You asked, I will stay." He looked around the darkened store. "Perhaps we should go back. Ian hasn't seen you all day… and dinner is going to be late."   
Amy leapt to her feet. "Oh my gosh! Dinner! You're right, Zelgadis, I have to go home!" Heading for the door, she called over her shoulder. "I'll see you at home!"   
He stood and shook his head slowly. How did it always seem that he got himself into these things with very little resistance? 

Dinner was late, but good. Ian said nothing, only offering Zelgadis a quiet understanding nod. After he'd helped Amy with the chores, Zelgadis stood out on the porch, contemplating Xellos' staff. The sphere was dull, and Zelgadis couldn't ever recall seeing the sphere dull. It had always had some kind of light within it before… and only once or twice had he ever seen it flare brilliantly. The only thing that he could think of was that it meant the Trickster truly was gone.   
But what had the power to completely destroy the General-Priest of Zelas Metalium? And what would Zelas Metallium have to say about that?   
Amy's soft footsteps tiptoed across the porch, and she looked at the staff. "He was a pain, wasn't he?"   
Zelgadis looked to Amy, a stone eyebrow raised. "Who, Xellos? Yes, at times."   
She looked at the sphere quietly, shaking her head. "It all dances so far out on the edge of my mind… refusing to come any closer." She looked up to him now, offering a weak smile. "I don't know who I am supposed to be."   
Neither of them saw the black shadow that moved on its own, swirling around the base of the staff as Zelgadis held it.   
"Why don't you just take it moment by moment?" Zelgadis offered. "It's a rough way to go… but in the end, you might make some sense of it."   
The shadow swirled past his hand on the staff.   
She sighed faintly. "It's frightening, not knowing… and yet… I feel like I ought to know…"   
She was working herself up again, and Zelgadis knew it. Setting the staff against the railing of the porch, he reached out and took her hands. "Maybe you should, maybe you shouldn't. But I promised you that I would help."   
The shadow touched the quiet sphere at the top of the staff.   
She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you…I… I don't know what I'd do…"   
He offered her one of his rare smiles. "You'd manage, I think."   
"My, my. What have I walked in on?"   
Zelgadis dropped Amy's hand, spinning to stand before Amy, a defensive spell ready, teeth bared.   
Violet eyes glinted in the darkness at the pair, lips curled in dark amusement. 


	7. Chapter Seven

lf7u

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Seven**

Zelgadis launched himself at the intruder, grabbing him by the throat and dragging him into the light cast through the window. "What the Hell happened, fruitcake?" The chimera growled at the Mazoku.   
Xellos sighed happily. "Ah… Zelgadis. It's so good to be back, don't you think? And you and Lina do look so cute together…"   
The Trickster Priest was suddenly ripped out of Zelgadis' hands by a strong and sudden force that the chimera couldn't identify until he turned away from the flying form of Xellos to look at Amy… who was standing with one foot off the ground and her skirt caught up in her hands. She'd obviously just kicked Xellos into orbit.   
He raised both stone eyebrows and Amy put her foot down and let her skirt fall into place. "What? I just had to kick him," she said as she fluffed her skirt back into place.   
Zelgadis took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he exhaled. This was rapidly becoming too much for him to handle tonight. Xellos phased into the air beside him, and without paying it much attention, Zelgadis punched him in the face, grabbed his collar, and pulled Xellos' face up to meet his. "Xellos, I've been here for three days and I'm out of patience. I want to know what happened a year ago, and I want to know now."   
Xellos grinned maddeningly. "That… is…"   
Zelgadis' eyes caught a dangerous red glint as he glared at the violet-eyed troublemaker. In a low voice, he issued a warning. "If you say that's a secret, I'm going to hand you over to her, and then we'll see what happens."   
Amy blinked, and then realized that she was supposed to be a threat. _Quick! What would that Lina girl do?_ Her eyes grew wide and round and she clasped her hands in front of her. She pitched her voice well into the 'cute' range and looked at Xellos pleadingly. "Oh, please, Mister Mazoku, you have to tell him, or I'll be forced to do something that I really don't want to do!"   
Zelgadis turned his head very slowly to stare wide-eyed at Amy, who looked like Lina with a tangible aura of… cute. He simply blinked at her in astonishment for a moment before realizing that it had had the desired effect on Xellos. The Mazoku was cringing. Turning back to Xellos with a devilish smirk, he said, as if to clarify: "See?"   
Xellos was busy turning blue. "Fine, you win, Zelgadis. I'll tell you." 

"Those woods over there weren't always called the Balck Forest. A long time ago, this place was the home of a mysterious group of elves. The ground below the forest is rich in natural orihalcon, which the elves guarded," Xellos began. At the mention of orihalcon, Zelgadis started. Xellos nodded. "Which is to say, that no magic can be cast in the forest. Even I have a hard time doing anything in the forest… which is why the creature defeated me."   
Zelgadis frowned. "What is that thing, then?"   
"It's an elf. Back then, the humans around here wanted the orihalcon and slaughtered hundreds of elves in order to get to the forest. But the elves learned to adapt and fight back, taking the orihalcon and working it into an armor that would be practically invincible. And since magic can't be used in the forest, the elves that remain are nearly impossible to defeat," Xellos answered. He was being unusually talkative… but that could have been largely due to the shining red eyes that kept looking at him cutely.   
"And what about the stories of Old Man Balck?" Zelgadis asked.   
"Oh," Xellos waved his hand airily. "I'd imagine that the elves killed him too."   
Zelgadis frowned. But that doesn't explain… "So what happened to Lina, then…?"   
"Hmm?" Xellos looked over to the girl who was doing a damnably good impression of Amelia. "Whatever do you mean, Zelgadis?"   
Zelgadis took a deep breath. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Ok, you can drop the cute act now." He looked to the confused Mazoku. "Xellos, meet Amy Sellmore." He turned to the girl who looked like Lina. "Amy… meet Xellos Metallium, Trickster Priest, fruitcake, namagomi, and generally irritating Mazoku."   
"There's no need to be insulting, Zelgadis…" Xellos retorted before the implications of what Zelgadis had just said sunk in. "…Amy?" Violet eyes opened to peer at the girl who was looking at him rather nervously. "This isn't Lina?"   
"No," Zelgadis said with exasperation. "And yes."   
Violet eyes shifted to Zelgadis. "It seems that it is your turn to explain." 

After Zelgadis had explained to Xellos, the Mazoku mused. "Perhaps the elves have been taken by the Mazoku. This bears some investigating." Looking up, he considered the night. "Now let's see… Hmm… I'll be right back…" The Trickster Priest was gone as soon as he finished the words.   
Zelgadis sighed. Was he a fool for thinking that Xellos would be of any use? Maybe. There seemed to be a lot of maybes around. He turned to Amy to ask her what she thought, but stopped. She was asleep, resting her head on the railing of the porch. It occurred to him that he still hadn't sent word to Amelia or Sylphiel. He'd have to do that in the morning. He'd draft the letters tonight and send them by the fastest method they had in this village.   
But right now… he stood and gently nudged Amy. "Amy… let's get you inside. Sleeping on the porch isn't a good idea."   
She opened an eye and looked at him. "I've slept in worse places, Zel."   
_Lina…?_ He frowned. "Amy…?"   
She smirked as she stood. "Only when I remember, Zel." It passed across her eyes and she paled, wavering. "Oh gods… Gourry…" He caught her as she fell.   
_Only when she remembers…_ It started to make sense. _When she remembers what happened, she retreats into herself._ He picked her up easily, turning to carry her into the house. _She runs away from the memories, hiding behind the Amy persona so she doesn't have to face them._   
He walked through the house, contemplating the situation. He was starting to understand at least part of what Lina had said before. But why she said it was her fault…? If she couldn't cast any magic in the forest, then she couldn't have stopped the attack. But the paleness of the woods…   
He stepped into her room and laid her gently on the bed. He was doing this every night, it seemed. Was it part of the reason why he had started to be softer? He stood there, watching her. _Am I falling in love with her? If so… who am I falling in love with? Amy, or Lina?_ He shook his head as he left the room quietly. _Get a grip on yourself, Zelgadis. Amy is just a… a way of Lina hiding from the fact that she saw Gourry die at the hands of a demonic elf. If Lina was that attached to Gourry… what makes you possibly think that she'd love you?_   
He walked into his room and closed the door. He walked to the table by the bed and picked up his journal. Time to write those letters to Amelia and Sylphiel. He needed them here. If for nothing else, to keep him from being stupid.   
He lit the candle with half a thought, pulled out a pencil, and started to draft the letters. But how long would it take for them to get the letters and come here? A week? Maybe more.   
"I was right, Zelgadis. Dynast's minions have taken over the elves. And because of that, they're practically invincible. That would explain why it had the power to nearly destroy me. We'll have to be careful if we go to fight them."   
Pausing in the letter, the chimera looked up and saw Xellos standing there. A thought crossed his mind, and before Xellos could open his mouth again, Zelgadis stood and strode across the room to him. "I want you to go bring Sylphiel and Amelia here. Now."   
The Trickster Priest actually blinked his eyes open in surprise. "What?"   
Zelgadis snarled, one hand going for the Mazoku's throat. "Do it."   
A knowing smile crossed the faintly purple lips. "Hm. I see. Very well, Zelgadis. I'll play. For now."   
And Zelgadis was left holding empty air and wondering if that had been such a wise idea after all.   



	8. Chapter Eight

Lost and Found - Chapter Eight Lost and Found   
Chapter Eight 

Amelia was just ready to head to bed when an old and familiar voice caught her attention.   
"Amelia!"   
She turned to see Xellos, of all people, on one knee… as if he was paying a twisted sort of homage to her. Frowning, she walked across the room and kneeled to look at him.   
"Mister Xellos…? What are you doing?" She asked sweetly. Amelia was all too aware of what the Trickster Priest was capable of, and knew precisely how to off-balance him.   
The General-Priest of Zelas Metallium had his own agenda, of course. He couldn't stay out of the game for very long, and in order for him to play the game right, he needed Lina Inverse. So the troubled look in his eyes was completely real when he opened them to meet Amelia's blue eyes. "Amelia, Zelgadis sent me to find you. Lina needs your help." The scary thing was that it was the absolute truth.   
Amelia regarded Xellos disbelievingly. "First, Mister Xellos, I know that Miss Lina is with Mister Gourry, not Mister Zelgadis. Second, why in the Four Worlds would I ever believe you?"   
Xellos sighed. "You'll just have to trust me, Amelia. I can't answer any of that. But Lina's in a lot of trouble and Zelgadis can explain it all." He knew the Princess was going to be trouble. If Lina were here to talk to Amelia… but she wasn't. And Xellos knew that if he did anything to fake her presence, Amelia would see through him and never go along.   
Amelia brought her nose close enough to nearly touch his, and he jumped, startled. He'd slipped into thought without noticing it. He _was_ upset, he realized with a shock.   
"You're worried," Amelia said. "There is something wrong, isn't there?" She sighed. "Let me go change out of this dress, and then we can go."   
Xellos blinked as Amelia headed out of the room. What had he done to prove it to her? Human females. He'd never figure them out. 

Zelgadis paced in his room, back and forth, working on the puzzle presented to him. It was Lina… only something had taken the spirit right out of her. Something had defeated her so completely… and that something was Gourry's death. When she remembered, she retreated and became Amy. When she forgot, or was caught in that half-asleep state, she was Lina.   
He considered. What if he hypnotized her? Rezo had used such before… in his studies of the mind. It was amazingly effective… and used no magic at all, which made it even more frightening. But Rezo had discovered that not everyone could be hypnotized. Zelgadis, for example. Being a Shaman, his magic dwelt in the resting place of his soul… and he was more attuned to his Self than most. But Amy… as separated as she was… it might work. And then they could at least talk to Lina… 

A surprised squeak caused him to turn around and see Amelia standing there across the room. Xellos faded from sight immediately, and Zelgadis walked over to Amelia. "Amelia…"   
"Mister Zelgadis, what's going on?" Amelia asked as she looked at Zelgadis. He looked… old. She'd never seen his eyes etched with worry like they were now, had never seen him so thoroughly preoccupied. He looked like he hadn't slept in several days, and she knew that he didn't sleep a whole lot… which meant that he wasn't sleeping at all. "No, wait. You need to sleep. You're exhausted, Mister Zelgadis!"   
"I don't have time to sleep. I have to tell you a few things. There are things that you need to know before the sun rises," he returned, but she put her hand on his arm. "Amelia," he protested as he felt her cast the spell. "That's not… fair…"   
She caught him as the sleep spell took effect, staggering backwards as she remembered almost too late to cast a levitation spell around him so that she could move him to the bed. "I'm sorry, Mister Zelgadis. But you need to sleep. Whatever it is can wait until you've rested enough to see straight." 

Sylphiel was cheerfully setting the house ready for night, humming to herself as she turned down the bed. It wasn't quite bedtime, but it would be ready for her when it was. She turned to the door just in time to see Xellos phase in, and blinked. "Mister Xellos?" Every instinct she had said that something had gone horribly wrong for him to be making a late-evening appearance at her house in Sairaag. "What's wrong?"   
"Lina needs your help. Zelgadis and Amelia are waiting for you."   
Sylphiel put all thoughts of bed aside and picked up her scepter. Good thing I'm still dressed! "Let's go, Mister Xellos."   
Xellos looked at Sylphiel. Such blind faith. It was admirable, in a way. He nodded to her, and the two of them vanished into the night. 

Amelia was sitting quietly in the corner of the room when Sylphiel and Xellos popped into existence. She looked up, rising to her feet, whispering. "Miss Sylphiel! Mister Xellos!"   
Sylphiel blinked several times, and then frowned at Amelia. "Miss Amelia! You shouldn't cast sleep spells like that!"   
Xellos hid a snicker. Righteous Sylphiel, always good for a laugh.   
Amelia frowned. "You didn't see him, Miss Sylphiel! He was exhausted, but he wouldn't sleep!"   
The cleric frowned harder as she looked at Zelgadis. "I wonder why… he's usually so responsible…"   
Xellos cleared his throat. "He's worried about Lina."   
Amelia and Sylphiel both turned to look at him, each with questions in their eyes. "Worried about Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.   
Xellos nodded. "I do rather think that he's in a better position to tell you two what's going on when he wakes. I don't even know the full story myself."   
"Well, where is Miss Lina?" Sylphiel asked, looking to Xellos.   
Xellos shook his head. "Don't bother her right now. She was sleeping not too long ago."   
Amelia looked at Zelgadis. "I think we can talk quietly. The spell will keep him from hearing us." She turned to Xellos. "Where are we?"   
"Somewhere on the outskirts of the Balck Forest," Xellos replied. "Although, you might know it better as the Orihalcon Forest."   
Amelia shook her head. "I've never heard of it."   
Xellos mused. "It's on the border of the fallen barrier. We're about a two month's journey away from Sairaag."   
The girls stared at him. "Two months?" Amelia asked, incredulously. "Mister Xellos, stop making things up!"   
Xellos pointed out the window. "Then how do you explain that it is well into night here? It was evening in Sairaag."   
Sylphiel moved to look out of the window. "He's right, Miss Amelia. The stars are old in the sky… and the positions aren't the same as they are at home. Some of them I don't even know…"   
Amelia moved to the window in order to look at the sky herself. "But… but that star should be over there!"   
Xellos simply folded his arms and envied Zelgadis the sleep, intentional or not. He didn't have to deal with the two girls. "So do you at least begin to believe me now?"   
Amelia turned and sighed. "I guess we have no choice. It won't kill me to sleep on the floor. What do you think, Miss Sylphiel?"   
Sylphiel laughed softly. "I've slept in worse places, Miss Amelia. If you recall some of our travels…?"   
Amelia grinned and nodded. "And the night that Mister Xellos fell out of the tree!"   
Both girls looked over to the Mazoku, who had a very strange look on his face. Almost as if he was… embarrassed. "You… saw that?"   
Amelia smiled sweetly. "It was kind of cute…" Her words trailed off as the door to the outside hall opened slowly and someone looked in.   
"Um… excuse me…?" Crimson eyes peered out from under a tumble of loose red hair. "But… who are you?"   
Amelia and Sylphiel stared at the girl in the doorway. For all appearances, that was Lina. Only, they'd never seen Lina Inverse wearing a long white nightdress. Moreover, they'd never heard that sort of softness in her voice.   
Xellos looked over. "Ah… Amy… did we wake you? I'm sorry." He gave a courteous little half-bow. "Amy… meet Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune and Sylphiel Nels Rada of Sairaag. Amelia, Sylphiel, this is Amy Sellmore."   
The three girls blinked at each other, and Xellos sighed. It was going to be a long night, wasn't it?   
And Mazoku didn't sleep.   



	9. Chapter Nine

Lost and Found - Chapter Nine

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Nine**

The three girls were seated at the kitchen table, steaming cups of tea and plates of cookies in front of them, all chattering away like a group of schoolgirls. Giggles and gasps of astonishment punctuated the discussion, and Xellos watched the three interact and shook his head. _How in the name of Shabranigdo am I going to get them to believe that Amy is really Lina…?_ He thought to himself. _Wait a minute. I'm a Mazoku! I'm one of the meanest, ugliest, nastiest creatures to walk on this World… and I'm… I'm…_ He stared as the girls all three burst into laughter. _I'm BABYSITTING!!!_   
Xellos slid down the wall of the kitchen and sat on the floor, defeated. 

Zelgadis opened his eyes and looked around his room. Amelia wasn't there, and it was morning. _Damn! That means…_   
He darted out of his room and stopped in dismay when he saw the door to Amy's room open. Amy wasn't in it. Sounds from down the hall caught his attention, and warily, he went towards the kitchen.   
He entered the kitchen and came to an astonished halt at the sight before him. Amy was standing at the stove, peering over Sylphiel's shoulder as the cleric was showing her something that was cooking, Amelia was reading ingredients out loud from a cookbook… and Xellos was crumpled against the wall, watching them with a weary sort of resignation.   
He blinked several times, trying to decide what, if anything, he should say. They all looked like they were getting along quite well… and Amy almost looked… happy. Maybe this was better for her. Maybe this was what she needed.   
Sylphiel looked over and saw Zelgadis standing there watching Amy set the table. _He looks at her so sadly… is it because she looks so much like Miss Lina…? I wonder what it is that he needs us to help him with?_ She glanced over to Amelia and knew that the Princess saw him too. Forcing a smile, Sylphiel looked brightly to Zelgadis. "Good morning, Zelgadis! Did you sleep well?"   
He looked at her quietly for a moment. "I shouldn't have slept at all." He glanced at Amelia, who bristled.   
"Mister Zelgadis, you needed the sleep!"   
Amy looked to Zelgadis. "She's right, Zelgadis. You were looking rather tired. I'm sorry that I've been such a burden- oh no!" She dropped the spoon that she was holding.   
Four heads turned her way, and Sylphiel blinked. "What is it, Miss Amy?"   
"I didn't go last night! How will he ever forgive me!?" She grabbed her shoes from beside the door and took off down the porch steps.   
"Damn! Amy!" Zelgadis called out, stopping at the door and watching her vanish over the hill.   
Amelia walked up behind him and peered after Amy. "Maybe we ought to go with her…"   
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Amelia…" Xellos began, but Amelia silenced him with a look.   
"I'm going. Are you coming, Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia asked.   
"Yes… just let me turn off the stove… there! Wait for me, Miss Amelia!" Sylphiel looked at Zelgadis. "Do you know where she went?"   
Zelgadis reluctantly looked back outside. "Yes."   
"Good. Let's go, then," the cleric replied.   
With a heavy sigh, Zelgadis led the way to the churchyard. One way or another, they had to find out… 

Amy was kneeled at the grave when the others made their way up to her. Before Zelgadis could warn her, Sylphiel had read the entwined initials on the marker and knelt beside Amy and looked to the redhead.   
"Miss Amy… whose grave is this?"   
Amy's voice was soft. "He was a brave man who gave his life rescuing mine. His name was Gourry Gabriev."   
Sylphiel's world inverted as she stared at the grave marker. "Gourry…"   
Amelia froze, shocked beyond words and thought. She sagged against Xellos, who absently steadied her. The emotions running through Amelia and Sylphiel fed the Mazoku, but he derived little pleasure from it. It wasn't right. Not at the expense of Lina. Not at the risk of the game. Gourry he didn't care about. Lina, on the other hand… Lina was pivotal in his game…   
Sylphiel reached blindly out to the stone marker, resting her hand on it. "Gourry dear…"   
Amy looked at Sylphiel curiously. "Did you… know him…?"   
Zelgadis' voice was emotionless. "Sylphiel knew Gourry when they were children."   
Amy blinked sadly at Sylphiel. "I'm so sorry…"   
Sylphiel turned tear-stricken eyes to Amy. "What happened…?"   
Amy looked at Zelgadis quietly. "I… don't remember a lot of what happened. But there was some sort of demon…" She steadied herself, a memory flickering across her mind, and her eyes widened as something new flashed in the memory. "It was orihalcon… the Dragon Slave didn't work in the forest…" She sat perfectly still, eyes as distant as her voice. "And Gourry forgot that he didn't have the Sword of Light…"   
Zelgadis knelt to look at the redhead. He didn't dare speak to her, didn't dare interrupt the moment. But he knew that what they were hearing was Lina remembering.   
Amelia and Sylphiel looked on in confusion, and as Amelia opened her mouth to say something, Xellos calmly put a finger to her lips. The Princess looked to him in surprise, belatedly realizing that she'd been leaning on him. She stepped away and when she saw his eyes open, followed the intense gaze back to the redhead. She had no clue what was going on.   
Sylphiel took the cue from Xellos and simply listened.   
"It moved so fast… and the orihalcon absorbed everything cast… when Xellos showed up… it was too late. But Gourry grabbed me and ran… and that thing… tore Xellos in half…" She shuddered, bringing her arms around her. "The sound… all I can hear is the screaming…" She looked up, seeing Zelgadis in front of her. "Zel… let me go. I can't… I can't face…" She looked down at the ground. "I can't face Sylphiel. I can't tell her…"   
"Lina…" Zelgadis' voice was rough.   
Sylphiel was in shock. Was this broken girl in front of her truly Lina Inverse and not Amy Sellmore? Gourry was dead… Lina broken… and…   
It still hadn't made any sense to Amelia. She watched in complete confusion until Zelgadis whispered Lina's name. Two things came to the Princess' mind in quick succession. The first was that Zelgadis sounded like he was in love with the girl in front of him. The second was that he'd just called her Lina. She did the only thing she could do: look to Xellos for some sort of confirmation.   
He looked back at her, eyes unusually intense, and simply nodded.   
Amelia sank to her knees. Lina…? Lina was Amy? Or… Amy was Lina…? But how…?   
Sylphiel took a breath and made up her mind. It didn't even occur to her that she might be mad with Lina. No, she knew that Lina had loved Gourry just as much as Sylphiel herself had. And if that was what Lina was afraid of… She pushed past Zelgadis and reached out, taking Lina's chin in her fingers, lifting Lina's face to hers.   
Zelgadis watched, wondering what sort of effect Sylphiel might have on Lina. It couldn't be too bad… could it?   
"Miss Lina… You just told me. And I want you to know that I'm not upset with you. If anything, I want you to hurry up and come help me kill the rotten spawn of Shabranigdo that killed our dear Gourry," The edge in Sylphiel's normally sweet voice took everyone by surprise.   
Including Lina.   
The redhead blinked once, then twice. "No… you can't… it's better to leave it alone…" Her eyes rolled backwards, and she fell forward into Sylphiel, who caught her out of reflex alone.   
Sylphiel's soft blue eyes sharpened, taking a fierce harshness as she looked to Zelgadis. "Take Lina, Mister Zelgadis. Mister Xellos, we have to go back to Sairaag right now." 


	10. Chapter Ten

Lost and Found - Chapter Ten

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Ten**

Zelgadis paced back and forth. This was rapidly getting out of hand. He didn't know what Sylphiel was planning, or why Amelia had decided to go along with Sylphiel and Xellos, but he knew that the girls were planning something that was probably dangerous and that he had no intention of allowing.   
He'd absolutely have to do something… but what could he do? That monster from earlier showed that there were still creatures after Lina… but it hadn't been an elf. He reasoned that if the elves lived in the Orihalcon Forest, they'd be fairly resistant to magic, even out of the forest. Therefore, he'd have to go on brute force. Except… brute force hadn't gotten anywhere with Gourry… and if the elves in orihalcon armor were strong enough to rip apart even Xellos…?   
He paused in his pacing. _Wait… Xellos said that Dynast's minions had taken over the elves. That would make sense… elves weren't usually the warrior type… which is why so many of them are dead now. _So how to defeat the demons and free the elves?   
It was, Zelgadis decided, time for some investigating. 

The path that the three were walking was long and fairly boring. Amelia and Xellos were watching Sylphiel as she walked; following the cleric into what she had told them was the underground ruins of ancient Sairaag.   
As they wound around tree roots, Sylphiel explained that they were under the root network of the great Flagoon, and that they were not too far from the destination.   
A great chamber opened before them, and the air turned from old and dusty to sweet and mild, the soft scent of water carried within. At Amelia's startled gasp, Sylphiel explained. "Behold, the great Lake of Flagoon; that which grants the Holy Tree physical nourishment."   
As Amelia and Xellos watched, Sylphiel slipped off her boots and stepped out over the lake, walking on the surface of the water out towards the center. Wherever Sylphiel put her feet, brilliant light pooled around them, fading to shine anew when she stepped forward. She came to a stop, brilliance pooling around her feet, and extended her hand.   
"Holy Flagoon, your assistance is once more requested. Will you grant me this assistance again?"   
Amelia blinked. Was Sylphiel talking to the tree? Was everyone losing their minds, one by one? First Lina and now Sylphiel?   
A brilliant light formed under the water before Sylphiel, and then, from under the water came a shape that Amelia recognized: The Blessed Blade.   
It surfaced, hilt first, rising to meet Sylphiel's hand. Amelia glanced over to Xellos and saw the expression on the Mazoku's face. She wondered why he looked so disturbed, and then decided that it was probably due to the fact that Flagoon was holy and of Cepheid… precisely opposed to the nature of Mazoku.   
Sylphiel's hand closed around the hilt of the sword and she turned to walk back across the water and join Amelia and Xellos. "Shall we?" 

Amy opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of her room. She lay there for a few moments, checking herself. Yes, she was still Amy. But who did she want to be? Lina Inverse had seen so much death… so much destruction… And yet, Amy was boring. Amy's life was the same every day, chores, store, sleep. It was the very life that Lina Inverse had run away from.   
She sat up and looked around the room. She'd go talk to Zelgadis. He'd been helping her all along.   
She knocked on the door to his room, and the door fell open. No Zelgadis. Well, maybe he was down the hall…   
The kitchen and the living room were empty.   
As she stood in the living room, trying to decide what to do, Xellos, Amelia, and Sylphiel appeared out of nowhere. Amy turned to them and was obviously disappointed that Zelgadis wasn't with them.   
"Where's Zelgadis?" Amy asked the surprised group.   
"He's not here?" Amelia replied, looking to Sylphiel in alarm. The cleric's grip tightened on the hilt of the sword. 

Zelgadis was just within the forest, holding aloft a light spell and watching it. His goal was to discover precisely how strong the orihalcon was. If his memory served, orihalcon was found in veins, very much like gold and other metals. That meant that there would be areas within the forest where magic might be used, but at a lesser strength. The flickering and faltering of the sphere of light would tell him where the orihalcon was stronger.   
By his figuring, the vein was off to the left… so if he lured the elves off to the right side of the forest… he might not have to rely entirely on brute force. In fact… if he could lure enough of the elves off to that area that he had found earlier… he could cast the Ra-Tilt there and remove Dynast's influence on the elves.   
But he had to be able to lure them there. Now how was he going to do that…?   
He watched the sphere of light, unaware that he himself was being watched. 

Amy sat in her room, listening to the others talk about where Zelgadis could have gone. Shaking her head, she moved away from her desk, standing and walking out of her room into Zelgadis'. She'd seen the box with Lina's things in his room earlier, and as she opened the box, the memories chased at her, the horrible sound of Xellos screaming… the smell of blood in the air… Gourry's grip on her as they ran.   
Slowly, resolutely, she accepted each memory as she recalled it. She wasn't some little wimpy pathetic merchant's daughter. She picked up the costume, looking at the bloodstains on the fabric. Her blood, mixed with Gourry's. The bedroom door shut as she sent a thought of levitation towards it, and she slipped out of the green skirt and white blouse.   
The hem of her cloak was ratty, and she looked as if she had seen better days, but it was all the clothing. She was putting herself back together. One by one, she fastened the talismans, each action a promise to Gourry, and an apology. She'd run for a year. She'd betrayed everything that Gourry had done to keep her alive.   
She reached down, pulling out the sword and looking at it quietly for a moment before fastening it at her hip. One thing left in the box. One memory.   
She reached into the box and picked up the black ribbon. 

Xellos shook his head. "No, I would hope that he hadn't just blindly entered the forest."   
"But if he did, he needs the Blessed Blade! I have to take it to him!" Sylphiel replied.   
"You can't go into the forest, Sylphiel! You wouldn't stand a chance in there." Xellos replied.   
Amelia was thinking. Neither she nor Sylphiel could take the sword to Zelgadis. And Xellos couldn't touch the Blessed Blade. The only option was to wait until Zelgadis emerged from the forest… and that could either be by his own choice, or they could stand out there and holler for him.   
Sylphiel sighed. 

She undid her hair, strand by strand until it was loose down her back, wild and free. She closed her eyes, reaching up to tie the ribbon around her head, calling forth her magic from its slumber within. As the magemarks formed on her forehead, she remembered.   



	11. Chapter Eleven

Lost and Found - Chapter Eleven

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Eleven**

"So Gourry… what do you think's in this place, anyway?" Lina asked as they headed through the forest. It was bright and sunny, yet the forest was strangely quiet. They'd been in the forest for almost two hours, heading deeper into the undergrowth.   
Lina squinted. There was something up ahead, and she was trying to identify it at this distance when Gourry pulled out his sword and threw his hand out in front of her. "Hey-!" She objected, but she sensed the presence immediately after, and reached for her own sword. 

_The rest very quickly went to Hell, _she thought as she stood in the room, letting her hands fall. _But I've been to Hell… and now I'm back to send them there._

"We have to do something," Sylphiel protested. "We can't simply let Zelgadis stay in that forest without the Blessed Blade!"   
Xellos sighed. There was something to be said about having Mazoku for minions. They simply did what you told them, didn't talk back or come up with their own ideas. And yet, he was stuck with these two girls largely because of Lina.   
A hand in a bloodstained glove reached out and picked up the Blessed Blade.   
Silence fell as the three at the table realized who had just walked up and picked up the sword. Without a word, without an explanation, she walked out of the front door.   
Sylphiel leapt to her feet. "Miss Amy!"   
That was enough to jolt Xellos and Amelia, and the three headed out of the house as fast as they could. 

Zelgadis was in trouble. He was faltering under the attacks of the monster, but he knew that the monster itself wasn't tiring. It was one of Dynast's creatures, and not a possessed elf. They'd fought back and forth, and now they were in an area where Zelgadis couldn't cast the Ra-Tilt. He'd have to start thinking fast. He wasn't even sure that there were any elves left, at this point. 

They'd lost sight of her, and Amelia and Sylphiel came to a stop at the top of the hill where they had seen her last. Amelia looked around, grumbling. "Great, we lose Miss Amy… and now Mister Xellos is gone too!!" 

Xellos actually wasn't all that far away. He stood in the forest, looking at a very surprised monster. "Why, hello there…" He opened his eyes. "Where is Dynast?" 

The closer she got to the forest, the angrier she became. And the angrier that she became, the closer she came to her decision. A flash of light caught her eyes, and she scowled as she saw what was happening through the trees. Zelgadis was under attack.   
She landed outside the forest, allowing the Blessed Blade to rest on a rock nearby. She crossed her hands over the talisman at her throat, her decision made, final and true. Magic built around her, and she opened her eyes, a new determination burning within them. She'd lost one companion. She'd be damned if she'd lose another.   
A hand extended, collecting the magic. They were close enough now. Within her extended hand, a thin band of light appeared. She timed the moment, then flicked her wrist and watched the band of light snap out, catching the Monster in the arm through the trees. 

There was a brilliant flicker of light, and suddenly, Zelgadis found that he wasn't the target anymore. The Monster snarled in rage, and turned to thunder through the trees towards someone else. 

Xellos frowned at his opponent. "What is here that you don't want anyone to know about, I wonder? Could it possibly be…" He looked up, feeling a slight tug as the source of his powers was drawn upon. Eyes opened, and he tilted his head. "Well, well. It seems your little game is over." His eyes glowing, an unidentifiable spell shot away from Xellos' staff, and the full power of the Trickster Priest ripped through the lesser Mazoku before him, unhindered by the orihalcon in the ground. Orihalcon was trivial when Xellos was irritated enough. 

She remembered.   
There were no elves. Someone had whispered it to her while she lay broken on the bed. But she couldn't recall who. A woman in white, sitting by her bed that night that the healers had done all they could do. A woman with power… more power than she had had… whispering in the night.   
There were no elves in the forest. There was no orihalcon. It was all an elaborate lie set up a long time ago, a spell older than human memory. It had been set up to hide something from the humans… something that was capable of changing the balance of the world.   
A new spell had been whispered to her in the night as she fell into a healing sleep.   
And she remembered. 

Zelgadis headed out of the forest after the Monster, but came to a shocked halt as he looked up the hill that the Monster was charging up.   
She stood there in the old stained and torn pink and yellow costume, ragged cloak billowing out behind her from the sheer force of magic that she had collected around her. An aura of fury rippled around her, mixed with the magic. As he watched the Monster near her, a brilliant flare of light extended from her outstretched hand, slicing the Monster in half. 

Amelia and Sylphiel skidded to a halt as they saw her slice the Monster in half with the light. "What was that?" Amelia cried in dismay.   
"I don't know, Miss Amelia… but it can't possibly be good… oh Miss Amy…" Sylphiel sobbed. 

Xellos phased into the air above the woman with the flame red hair._ So. Zelas has decided to make Her move against Dynast and use… her? I see… how effortless on Her part._   
But the words that she used nearly caused Xellos to fall out of the air.   
"By Your hand I was spared, by Your command I have come. The forces of thine and mine shall destroy those who oppose us! Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds, I beseech thee thy aid in the time of need! Grant me all the power you possess!" Her talismans flared unnaturally bright as the magics twined.   
Violet eyes narrowed in shock. _How did she learn that? How…? The full invocation of those talismans had been known only to the Mazoku! No mortal should have those words! No mortal should know that much! Zelas cannot be behind this!_ It suddenly made itself clear as to what was within the forest, what Dynast had sought to control. The Balance was shifting. Shortly, he'd be in a good deal of trouble. He tried to depart, but something held him, bound him to the time at hand. He cursed in every language he knew, and hoped that his mistress knew what he was doing. 

Zelgadis landed beside Sylphiel, looking to the two girls. "What happened?"   
Both girls shook their heads. "We brought the Blessed Blade… but it's there, on that rock. We thought that it would help. But she picked it up… and brought it here… and hasn't used it." Sylphiel said.   
"Look out!" Amelia shouted over the growing sound of wind, throwing up a shield.   
Zelgadis and Sylphiel both cast shields, watching as the magics swirled around the caster, a strong wind beginning to circle about her. Amelia shivered. For all the wind, the redhead wasn't affected. 

Four people watched as the magic gathered itself around the caster, each of them wondering not only what was going on, but who that was in the center of the magical maelstrom. Amy, or Lina? 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Lost and Found - Chapter Twelve

**Lost and Found**   
**Chapter Twelve**

They never heard the words. Suddenly, the magic had gathered into the outstretched hand, and the undeniable flare-out of a Dragon Slave fired out, leveling the forest. 

When the dust cleared, they looked to see that the forest was indeed gone. But in the distance, in what had been the heart of the forest… something glinted brightly like a beacon.   
"Are you just going to stand there and stare?"   
Blinking, the little group turned to look at a fairly ragged-looking redhead holding the Blessed Blade.   
Sylphiel coughed away some of the dust. "Miss…"   
"Lina," she said. "I'm Lina." Zelgadis looked at her steadily, and she looked at him for a moment, and then turned away to look at the forest. "Sylphiel, you have to come with me."   
"Me? I don't understand, Miss… Lina…" Sylphiel said quietly.   
"You will when we get there," Lina said cryptically, and Sylphiel only nodded and followed Lina.   
Amelia and Zelgadis looked at each other, shrugged, and followed. 

Xellos was uttering his six thousand five hundred and twenty second curse in a language that hadn't been heard on the planet since before the Golden Dragons got the bug up their collective tails when he saw them head for the glimmer in the distance. He knew what it was, what it could do, and what it would probably do to him. And while he was interested in seeing the effect that this would have on mortal minds, he was not too thrilled at the prospect of what effect it would have on a Mazoku mind.   
_ When this is over…_ he wondered, _what will I see?_

The closer they got to the glimmer, the more Sylphiel had a feeling. And when the cleric had a feeling, she was usually right. She started to move faster, reaching to take the Blessed Blade from Lina as they moved. Yes… this is a temple… this is an old temple long lost to sleep. Sylphiel thought as they moved along. She came to a stop before a large medallion in the ground, looking at the ancient symbol. A symbol of Cepheid…   
The Blessed Blade flared brightly in her hands, and Sylphiel felt the request, rather than heard it. With all her strength, the cleric brought the sword point-first into the medallion.   
"Sylphiel, no!" Zelgadis shouted too late. But when Lina nodded to Sylphiel, Zelgadis paused. What is it that they have done?   
Magic unfolded along the ground, opening like a brilliant starburst with them at the center. The Blessed Blade vanished from sight, and a silver-haired girl-child sat in its place, blinking brilliant blue eyes at them. 

Xellos stiffened in preparation for the ring of magic to hit him. Being at Ground Zero of a holy spell was not what he had anticipated this morning. Damn Dynast for this treachery. Well… Dynast was already gone. At least he'd gotten to do that. Maybe Zelas would be so pleased with that fact that she'd bring him back…   
But the magic parted around him, and he saw the figure turn to look at him.   
Before he could react, he had been summoned, landing beside Zelgadis to look at the child before them. 

The child stood, and Xellos sighed heavily, realizing who it was. She smiled as she walked towards the Mazoku, and reluctantly, he kneeled to bring himself to eye-level with her. "Hello, Mitsukai."   
As Lina and the others watched in astonishment, the silver-haired girl simply patted Xellos on the head. "Hello, Xellos. Have you been good while I was gone?"   
Xellos smiled wryly at the girl, eyes closed. "That depends on your definition of 'good', Mitsu."   
The child laughed, a silvery-bell sound, then nodded to the Trickster Priest. "Indeed it does. Fine, fine, Xellos. You may go now. I know my presence distresses you so."   
Zelgadis stared as Xellos quickly faded from sight. Who was this girl? Her blue eyes fastened on him, and he had a feeling that he was about to find out.   
"I am, as you may have heard, Mitsukai. I thank you for rescuing me from the prison that Dynast Grausherra built around me as I slept."   
Lina shook her head. "I don't understand. Maybe I know your name…but I don't know who you are."   
The girl laughed, lifting into the air and floating over to Lina. Looking her straight in the eye, she smiled. "You are Lina Inverse. And I am Mitsukai, perhaps better known to you as one of the lost fragments of Cepheid."   
Lina blinked. A fragment of Cepheid? Here? After all of this? After everything she had been through… to come face-to-face with this child… She shook her head. "I don't figure it. Dynast's a fairly weak lesser minion of Shabranigdo. How come you weren't able to free yourself?"   
Amelia hung her head. That was Lina, no doubt about it. Only Lina would look at a fragment of any god and question them.   
"I was captive before I was here, Lina Inverse. I am the smallest fragment of Cepheid, and that was my undoing. But now you have restored me. I know that it was not without cost, for Dynast took great pains to show me what he had done. But Dynast did not know that my long efforts to escape had finally worked." The child waved a hand, and Lina gasped in surprise.   
A woman with long black hair and black eyes wearing a white dress stepped up to the group, smiling gently at Lina. "Hello, Lina. It's been a year, hasn't it?"   
"This is Amy Sellmore. The true Amy, daughter of Ian. She is a priestess of Cepheid, and assisted me. Lina's life was in grave danger, and Amy wove the spell that protected Lina until the danger was past." Mitsukai said, drifting down to land on the dragon-slave scorched grass.   
Lina shook her head. "A… spell…? I… I don't understand…"   
Amy stepped forward, lifting her hand. "Take my hand, Lina. Take my hand and remember."   
Lina reached out and touched her fingers to Amy's. 

_ Lina had been awake when the raven-haired woman had come into the room where she and Gourry lay. The healers had done what they could, and it was up to Cepheid now, they said. Indeed, they had left it to Cepheid, for Amy was a Priestess who spoke with a fragment of Cepheid on a daily basis._   
_ Amy's instructions had been clear. She touched the blonde youth, sensing his injuries and knowing what must be done. Borrowing powers far beyond her scope, she called forth the Cepheid Knight, who returned the injured lad to his home for healing. The Knight had expressed concern over the redhead, and Amy had said she would be safe. And then, Amy had turned to the girl on the bed._   
_ Lina had been too injured to even cringe when her sister passed through the room, but for a moment, she could have sworn that something had flickered in her sister's eyes that resembled worry. But it had faded, and the Knight moved on. Gentle hands had been placed on her head and shoulder, words of healing giving strength._   
_ But she would have to take a new role in life until the other was healed. It could be long before he was, and yet… Cepheid had asked. Lina accepted, and Amy cast the spells. Over time, the spell would unravel, the truth would be revealed, and Lina could come forth to complete the task._   
_ In exchange, Lina learned spells. Spells that had been long lost to the world, spells that spoke words of healing, words of soothing. And so Lina slept, living life as Amy until Lina was ready._

Lina pulled her hand back, looking to the black eyes of the real Amy Sellmore as the others watched in curiosity. "Then… where…?"   
"Hey guys! What's going on?"   
The group spun at the voice, eyes widening.   
Gourry.   
Gourry was walking up to them; waving like nothing was wrong, and Lina could only grin. Sylphiel burst into tears, running up to him, sobbing into his new armor.   
Amelia sniffled, and Mitsukai patted her knowingly on the hand. "Yes, Princess. It's always good to have a happy ending."   



	13. Epilogue

Lost and Found - Epilogue

**Lost and Found**   
**Epilogue**

Amy and Mitsukai explained it to them all. The creature that had defeated Lina and Gourry in battle was Dynast himself. Xellos had been caught unprepared, and wouldn't truly tell them what had happened. He didn't even say it was a secret. Instead, the Mazoku sat quietly and watched the Priestess of Cepheid and the Lost Fragment.   
Mitsukai had offered to help Lina forget, but the sorceress had pulled away from the fragment of Cepheid. To everyone's dismay, she had left the room. Zelgadis had been the only one to half-rise to follow, but Amy had rested her hand on his arm and stayed him.   
And so he had stayed and listened to the rest of the story, how Lina had agreed to become Amy, how the spell had been cast and she'd lived as the merchant's daughter. Indeed, Ian had known of the deal that was made, knew the girl was truly the powerful Lina Inverse.   
Zelgadis was a little irritated that they hadn't told him right off the bat. "So this whole thing was an elaborate plot?" He scowled at the priestess sitting on the sofa across the coffee table from him. "You set everything up and it worked for a year, didn't it? It worked until I showed up and knew who she was. And then the memories came back faster than you could control them in the spell. Lina broke it too soon, didn't she?"   
"Well, now that you mention it… we had not expected you to arrive." Amy replied quietly.   
Zelgadis sat his coffee cup down with a snarl and glared across the room. "I don't care if you are a fragment of Cepheid and you are a holy priestess. What gives you the right to use people like your toys? You didn't see the pain that she was in. You didn't wake up in the middle of the night and hear her crying. You didn't have to look her in the eyes."   
Amelia looked at Zelgadis, blinking. _He's so angry with them…_   
Sylphiel followed Amelia's line of sight to Zelgadis, seeing the anger in his eyes and sighed to herself. _He _is _in love with Miss Lina…_   
Gourry was sound asleep. It had been a long walk today…   
Amy lowered her head. "While we agree that you should have been told, the desired result was achieved. All went well."   
"The ends justify the means, in other words," Zelgadis snarled, standing. He walked towards the door, his overwhelming anger evident in every move. "If that is how the gods operate, then I am glad that I take no permanent stands with either side. If Cepheid doesn't care who gets hurt along the way, what makes him any better than Shabranigdo?"   
Amelia half expected a bolt of lightning to come down from the heavens and fry him.   
But no lightning came.   
Instead, the cursed youth opened the door and stalked out, closing the door behind him. 

He found Lina outside of the house, sitting on the porch. For a moment, he wasn't sure if Lina was herself as she sat there looking out over the grassy field. Her eyes looked so sad, and he paused before awkwardly sitting beside her and looking out in the same direction that she was.   
"I heard you in there…" her voice was soft.   
Anger faltered, replaced itself with an uncertain embarrassment. "I'm sorry if I upset you." Cerulean eyes changed focus from the present day to a memory of her tears falling on his stone skin. Focus, Zelgadis! You've lost your center. He came out of the memory to hear her talking, and realized that she'd missed part of what she'd said.   
"And so, it wasn't entirely them. I had to give Gourry time to be healed. He's part elf, you see… so normal healing spells don't work on him. Amy's plan… had merit."   
His voice was gruff when he managed to formulate a reply. "It hurt you."   
Lina shrugged. "I've been hurt before, Zel. And I'll be hurt again. It's part of life, Zel. You can't live without the risk of being hurt."   
"So that fact makes everything all right?" He asked. "Everything that you've been through, you shrug off? Because you've been hurt before?"   
She glanced at him with a strange little smile. "You do care, don't you, Zelgadis?"   
The question was completely unexpected, and caught the blue-skinned youth unprepared. As a scarlet hue spread across his normally blue cheeks, he looked off at the night sky. "You have Gourry…" He managed to reply.   
Lina looked at him. "Not really, Zel. You saw how Sylphiel ran to him earlier. How could I possibly compete with that? That is," she hastily amended, "if I even wanted to."   
He looked to her in surprise. "Then you don't…?"   
She wrinkled her nose and slipped off of the porch. "Nope. He's just a bodyguard. And if I slip out of here now… I don't have to explain it all to him. Coming with me?"   
He blinked. _She's asking me to go with her?_ He looked over to see her standing there with her hands on her hips. With a smile, he nodded and stepped off of the porch.   
"First things first," Lina began. "We have to find me some new clothes. I can't just run around in this… and then… who knows where the wind will take us?"   
Zelgadis shook his head. He'd get looped up into something unusual, he was sure of it.   
And he was actually looking forward to it.   



End file.
